Iraq imposes fees on social media companies

Baghdad - INA - Nassar Al-Hajj

The Communications and Media Commission confirmed today, Saturday, to impose taxes on companies responsible for social networking sites, while revealing the most important demands of Iraq regarding cases that violate the law and affect national security, which are published through these sites through 5 types of crimes.

The Executive Director of the Media and Communications Commission, Ali Al-Moayad, told the Iraqi News Agency (INA), in response to a question about those companies deleting certain words or banning the accounts of their owners, that "social media companies mostly operate according to their own visions and conditions, regardless of the specificities of countries and countries. consumer and seeks to impose these conditions on everyone, with its great spread and financial power.”.

He added, "There are global attempts collectively and individually to negotiate with these companies to impose controls and conditions of work for them. These attempts are still continuing based on the problems posed in Iraq and in the world as well as regarding the work of these companies.".

Moayad added, "Iraq has been negotiating with these companies for a while to impose controls and conditions on their work, and there is flexibility from these parties, but it did not reach the stage of agreement and work, and for many reasons."
Al-Moayad revealed "a move to impose taxes on these companies, and work is continuing in this field.".

With regard to what is allowed to be published on communication sites and affects national security in Iraq, he explained that “Iraq has demands in this regard from those companies in accordance with the dualism of preserving freedoms and preventing what violates the law and affects Iraqi national security to prevent the circulation of what is published and related to organized crimes (human trafficking, drugs, and counterfeit currency, extortion, terrorism) and others.